Saman Nimali Gunasekara takes over as Director of Dig-IT Lab, after being part of the centre’s core team with former Director Jonas Anund Vogel. Jonas, in turn, is leaving KTH for a new role as a consultant at TechSeed, where he will continue working with smart and sustainable cities. Here, they both explain what motivated their role changes.
Saman Nimali Gunasekara has been part of Dig-IT Lab since it started, serving as task force leader for networking and visibility and as research theme leader for sector coupling. She is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Energy Technology, bringing experience in research, project management, and teaching across thermal energy storage, district heating and cooling, and flexible sector coupling.
Hello Saman, what motivated you to take on the role of director of Dig-IT Lab?
“It’s the people – they are my main motivation, a perfect mix of industry, academia, and research institutes from Sweden and abroad, working across diverse and complementary research themes. Overall, I see Dig-IT Lab as a facilitator and incubator, and as a contributor to key innovations in the digitalisation of the real estate sector that are critical for achieving climate neutrality and sustainability.”
Can you say something about the direction going forward?
“It has been an amazing two-year journey with our wonderful former director and friend, Jonas Anund Vogel. We now build on the solid foundation of collaboration and trust that he helped create. Our partners are key to realising Dig-IT Lab’s vision, so continuing to strengthen collaborations and turning industry expectations into concrete action will be central as we move forward.”
“By now, many of the core objectives we set out to achieve are in place. Testbed Xn is the centrepiece, already showcasing our very first Testbed X1, with several more testbeds currently being planned. At the same time it is important to continue developing Dig-IT Lab’s thematic collaborations, including data security and safety, regulations, sector coupling, education, business and organisation, ethics and law, and sustainability.”
How can Dig-IT Lab further enhance collaboration between academia and industry?
“Dig-IT Lab has already brought together key stakeholders and created a platform for ideation and development. We maintain an ongoing dialogue with industry to ensure that research and innovation meet their needs and support sustainability goals. Testbed Xn and its subsets connect multiple research and development areas through both Dig-IT Lab projects and affiliated projects. Another good example is our Diggin Discussions, which promote knowledge sharing and collaboration across different themes and challenges.”
Moving on: Jonas Anund Vogel
Hello Jonas, if you’re going to do roughly the same work, why are you changing jobs?
“You could say I’m a bit of a restless soul. I’ve been at KTH for fifteen years, always with exciting assignments and colleagues around me. But eventually I reached the feeling that things were standing still. I want it to whirl a little, to have a bit of chaos, not knowing what tomorrow will bring or who I’ll meet. Simply put, I want to try something new, and consulting at a newly started company, where I get to help design it from scratch, feels really exciting.”
What do you take with you from Dig-IT Lab?
“Definitely the sense of community. So many people with different skills, all looking for ways to reduce climate impact through digitalisation, each from their own perspective – it’s unbeatable! I also take with me the joy of seeing extremely skilled people collaborate, reaching levels in discussions and solutions that wouldn’t have been possible without that foundation of trust.”
Is there something you’re particularly proud of contributing to at Dig-IT Lab?
“Here, too, I have to say the sense of community. When I left, it felt like Dig-IT Lab was a team of people who respect each other and genuinely want to collaborate, rather than just a group of strangers peeking out from behind a blurred Teams window.”
How can collaboration between academia and industry be further strengthened?
“Of course, that’s a tricky question. But what has really helped in many projects is that companies dedicate resources specifically to academic collaboration, and that researchers are willing to step out of their usual roles and tackle fast-moving questions with a business angle.”
“One thing that has worked well at Dig-IT Lab is our “Diggin Discussions,” where a company or researcher briefly presents a challenge, and we discuss it together. I believe in activities where titles and roles are left aside, and topics are discussed openly from different perspectives, no ego, trusting, and heartfelt. And of course, always with a focus on making ideas a reality, preferably with business impact. That’s when collaboration between industry and academia really becomes meaningful.”
Anything else you’d like to share?
“Go KTH! It’s incredible that we have institutions like KTH, which enable and encourage free thinking (almost) without political control. I just want to encourage anyone reading this to keep spreading knowledge and helping make our society and planet a better place. Thank you for letting me be part of spreading knowledge under KTH’s banner. See you around!”
Swedish